2009 Dec 23 Innovative Gift Ideas for Last Minute Shopping
The holidays are a gift-wrapped opportunity for you to express affection for friends, lovers and parents in a tangible way. If you pride yourself on giving innovative presents, here’s a few places to look as you do that last minute Christmas shopping.
Brand Nü
Offers a lovely collection of minority-inspired linen and cotton laptop covers that are handsewn by a women’s group from China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation. These make exotic yet affordable gifts (RMB 40).
Tue-Sun 10am-10pm (closed Mon). 61 Wudaoying Hutong (just west of Vineyard Cafe), Dongcheng District (150 1115 3421)
东城区五道营胡同61号
Lost and Found
This store’s vintage knickknacks from the ’70s and ’80s include an old-fashioned telephone, an electronic fan, clocks, a sewing machine – all of them one-of-a-kind. If antiques sound impractical, consider a set of retro-themed thermos bottles as a stylish, down-to-earth gift.
Daily 10.30am-8pm. 42 Guozijian Dajie, Dongcheng District (6401 1855)
失物招领, 东城区国子监大街42号
DimSum of All Things Asian (D-SATA)
Choose from a Christmas line of Thai silk totes, snakeskin bags with handles of hand-buffed horn, handbags of buntal weave, and bags crocheted from
recycled tubing and ribbon. All products are eco-friendly and come “gift-wrapped” in a cute bamboo steamer.
Unit A116, 1/F, Nali Patio, 81 Sanlitun Beilu, Chaoyang District (8559 1587)
亚点亚心, 朝阳区三里屯北路81号那里花园A116室
Shengtangxuan
The 90-year-old artisan of this tiny store has devoted his life to crafting traditional lao Beijing-style toys. The skills that produce these paper dolls, clay sculptures, puppets, embroidered tiger shoes are a disappearing art form.
Daily 9am-7pm. 38 Guozijian Jie, Dongcheng District (8404 7179)
盛唐轩, 东城区国子监街38号
Shanghai Tang
If money is no object, this label offers no shortage of tempting items with a strong Chinese flavor: silver sculpted dragon cufflinks, men’s velvet slippers embroidered with the “Tibetan knot,” a silver-plated dragon bookmark, a “Bauhaus” silk clutch with crystal appliqué. You’ll find a gift here for everyone back home – especially if you waited until the last minute …
Boarding Gate 12, International Departure Lounge, Beijing Capital International Airport, Shunyi District (6459 8180)
上海滩顺义区首都机场国际出港区12号登机口免税专卖区
More locations at www.shanghaitang.com
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Take 5: Christmas Eve Set Dinners
For those who fancy a delicious Christmas dinner out, but are not a huge fan of hotel buffets filled with dancing, entertainment and lucky draws, there are some fabulous alternatives – check out these Christmas Eve set dinner menus presented from some of the most popular restaurants in town. Sure, they’re pricey, but hey, it’s Christmas and shouldn’t we treat ourselves? Make your reservations early.
The Best Way to Enjoy Crab Dumplings
Crab dumplings, or xiefen xiaolongbao (蟹粉小笼包) in Chinese, gather all the flavors of crab and pork into one ball of dough.
Technically, xiefen is a general term encompassing xierou (蟹肉 crab meat), xiehuang (蟹黄 golden roes) and xiegao (蟹膏 fatty sperm).This trio goes well with pork, especially with a certain portion of fat. Along with these, a chunk of head cheese is a key ingredient, dissolving into liquid form and drawing the essence out from the solid fillings.
TAKE 5: Kidney Bean Sweets
Caffè iI Sole 太阳咖啡
Coffee Nerikiri (煉り切り) is a typical traditional Japanese sweet. The coffee-flavored kidney bean layer is as dense as a brownie, a nice contrast to the snow-white sweet bean paste stuffing. It can be a bit oversweet, but the equally sugary-voiced waitress explains that it was originally paired with green tea in the Japanese tea ceremony.
RMB 18Take 5: Literary Boozing
Many a writer finds his muse at the bottom of an empty bottle. Sometimes the third bottle. With so many scribes in town for the Bookworm's Literary Festival, we consider where some of history’s famously tipsy scribblers might get inspired in Beijing?
Ernest Hemingway
Mojito
Very macho, that Hemingway. Shooting, fishing, bullfighting, womanizing … but drinking a minty highball? Centro is a long way from Papa’s more adventurous moments, but it’s unlikely the bearded one would object to their quality mojitos.
Centro. Daily 24hrs. 1/F, Shangri-La’s Kerry Centre Hotel, 1 Guanghua Lu, Chaoyang District (6561 8833)
朝阳区光华路1号嘉里中心饭店1层Table for One? Best Spots for Solo Dining
Valentine's Day is just around the corner, but not all of us are lucky enough to have a lover, wife, "special friend" to share meals with. Need a table for one? Don’t wither under the smirks. Hold your (sniveling) head high and tuck in at one of these singles-friendly establishments.
